Supervisory mechanism



East Orange,

UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS c. HEALY, or EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNon 'ro cnocx com PAN'Y, INC., OF NEW YORK, Y.,

E cezolucmafrroiv or' NEW Yong.

sUPEnvrsoRY MECHANISM.

Applica-tionledliay 2f),`

To all whom-'it may it known that ELLIS C. HEALL'a citizen of. the United States, `residing at New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Supervisory 'Mechanism, of which the following is a ul1,5'clear, and exactV description.4 2

Valves for controlling Vthe Vflow offiuids` are in such common use that theyformv a; component part of practically every" mechanical equipment in general use. lUnder certain conditions .it is i 'essential that :they

open, and vice versa. f

should remain open orre'main closed'atall times exceptV for making repairs, extensions or for other recognized purposes; andi-it is a well recognized fact that loss of 4life-land great damage has resulted through voversightor design in permittin valves to `remain closed `when their norma Vposition should be The invention which constitutes thesuo ject matter of this application =relates to supervisory mechanism, specifically described in connection with sprinklerfsystems: The'` use of( automatic sprinkler systems.` is comv ing more andA more into' vogue, but like all other systems of water 'distribution the valves at times must necessarily be closed' lossesin cases'of fire.

temporarily in order to effect repairs, to. prevent freezing, and for many other purposes. There has beenandisa tendency-l on the part ofworkmen to leave one or more of the valves closed, therebyl putting' a part or the whole of the system completely out of commission with: a result off considerable- 'My invention therefore -has' to do with mechanism" adapted to be connected to a valve for' 'controllingthe access toa record' ing key located adjacent thereto. 4That is to say when the valve is open, as vit normally should be` access may be had to the'key, but if the valve is closed the key is not available. (or Stations) made ona record dial 'of a watchmans clock which would indicate the time at which the station was visited. vSo long as these' imprints are made at the required intervals, as shown bythe 'record dial; 1t is a sure indication that the valves at these/ particular times were opened. But if the imprint of a. certain station were omitted from the record dill it would be an equally sure indication I not beingV used.

:that .the .keyf attliatA station was inaccessible and thereforezthe valve 'was closedassumf ring that the watchmany visited lthat station. county of Essex, andf State :of

0f course,if itisA a .part ofthe .watchmans :duty to .open the valve hec'ould then makerL the imprint( Inany event the device will have served Iits purpose.-

Further objects. and advantages will appear pfrom" the detailed description below taken in connection with the \accompanyingJ '65 drawing, inA which-m:

Fig. ilisazside view ofif'a valve illustrating the invention in? "longitudinal 'section'iaao plied thereto.l 1

`Figz2 is alongitudinal section similar tov the sectioned portions of Figure lillustrating the partsin different-relative positions. .Fig is afview through the door opening illustrating the position of Athe -kev when Flg. 4 lsya'section taken on the'lm. of `Figure 2.

7 Referririgto the drawing in detail, the ref- 'erence numeral 10 designates'the water-"sup- 'fplyfto the sprinkler coming-'from :any suit-"1? able pipe (not shown)."'- lfiocatedz-inl'this fsupply isa'valve ll'providedfwith yafzyoke '12, afthreade'dv sleeve 1131 rotatably mounted in the yoke, a 'valve stern y14 screw-threaded to the sleeve, and a'm'anir'iulatingl handle-15:

fixed to the sleeve 13 and adapted toirofate the same in order to impart Va longitudinal movement to the valve-stem 14 and the 4gate valve (not shown) attached therefbrin: Rigidlysecured to the manipulating Wheel 15, 'as bybolt 16 Iand nut '17,is'a receptacle 518 provided with two compartments 19 and 20, in the former -ofwhich .ther upperend of the valve stern 14 is movable, and in' the latter of which the key 21 i'sfpivotedvat22f to the partition or other suitable member 23. The 'receptacle 18 is lalso provided with a door 24 for the pui'pose'lof receiving the Vkey 21 in the compartment 20. =r The partition member 23 is provided with as lider25, heldin positionby meansl of a set-screw 26. The

leari2 on the slide 25 is connected toone end of a chain 28, the other end of saidchaln being connected to a band 29V locatedu'pon the key 21. 'The slide 25 isf'located'lin the path of the enlargement 30. of the-f' valve stem 14; This I"er'llargement serves two" 1urposes. In the closing movement of 'thevalve it engages with a slide member25for the purpose of pulling the key into the compart- 20 and wellknownV form ment 20 of the receptacle 18. In the second place it cooperateswith the plunger 31 to actate tlefkey 'mechanism (not illustrated) contained in the key 21. In the position .5 illustrated in Fig. 1 it will that when the key 21 is moved about its pivot in a counter-clockwise direction the plunger 31 'Willezigage the enlargement 30 with the valve stem and actuatethe keygmeehanism contained in the key. If, however, the valve hasbeen i'noved slightlyfrom its anormal position, in the :present instance toward its closed position, the venlargement 30 will be moved :out of the path of the -gerf 31, Yand therefore the mechanism confta'ined in the key `21 cannotl beoperated to produce a record upon the record dial. The 'specific -folm of the Vkey mechanism is not -deec'ribed:and illustrated herein, `as any oid may-benemployed.V I prefer, however, to emply'the 4form ofv key ,-allusbmted,described'and claimed in the'patent to Bafldwinf 1,238,706. .f

The door 24 may be provided with an or- 25 din/'ryflock, the key 'for which is carried by Ethe Watchman.

.From the foregoing'it will be seen that I l while visiting ing the val-ve operation the supervisor visits each -valve equipped with Imyfinve'ntion and if the'valve -isfound to be closed o'r lar system requires,

is indisputable evidence that the 4valve-"vvas at that-time and place in nor- '40 ml fpo'sito'n. If, however, the 'supervisor should be unable to aotuate theikoy mechanisnrlle would then know that'the valve is not in its normal position, and he would thus be unable fto'e'ect the registration until the 5valve"` `And if the dial on the Watchmans clock does not show a --registration 'covering all the valves which he' is equiredto supervise it 'could be readily ldetermined which valve or 'llvalves he :had found not to loe in normal position. f-

The? construction illustrated merely the preferred embodiments of my invention and 1t be resorted to without departingrr from Athe truesplrl't and scope df my invention as ov'deinedfin the following claims. Wha-t I- claim-is: v 1. A valve provided vvith a stem, of a manipulating handle or wheel for imparting a flongitdinalmovement to said stemin combination with a key provided with relatively movable means operable when the valve is in normal position for producing a record upon a record dial, and means for rendering said key inoperative when the valve is moved from its normal position.

2. A valve provided with a stein, of a manipulating handle or Wheel for imparting a longitudinal; movement to said stem, in combination with akey provided with relatively movable means o mfble when the valve is in normal position or prodncing'a record 'upon a record dial, and means'for rendering said means inoperative WhenV the valve is moved from 4.its normal position.

3f. .A valve ,provided with a stem,

provided with means operable ywhen the valve is in normal position for producing a record upon a record dial, and means for `Arendering saidkey' inoperative when Vthe 'valve is movedirom itsnormal position.4

Ar construction as specified in olaim 3 means by the oscillation of said key about its pivot.

5. In combination, a valve manually operable indication producing means, and a member mountedat the end of said vstem and'mo'vable into and out offrengagement with a part of said means .torenhaving 'a "stem,l l

'der said means effective or ineffective to poduce an indication.

-6. 'In combination, 4a valve, a key having a 'plurality of relatively movable 'parte andop erative or inoperative to produce a rcord depending on the relative position of-said parts, "and means operatively `connected to Said valve `fo'r effectihgvrelative movement of Vsaid key parts when said valve is in a predetermined condition.

n combination, a valve comprising an operating member anda relatively movable member adapted to befoperated thereby, a. container carried by one of said members, a key carried .by said container, and means comprising a part carried by the other of Said' members 'for 'moving 'Said key linto said container when said valve is closed.

8. A supervisory system as set forth in Vclaim 1 in whichthe key is pivotally mount- ELLIS C.v HEALY. 

